Impervious 

Impervious looked good in winning the Grade 3 mares’ novices’ hurdle at Down Royal on Friday. Quickly into a nice rhythm, at the head of the main group of six runners behind a decent pace that clear leader Annie G set, she moved up nicely on the outside of the leader at the top of the track on the run to the third last flight. She wasn’t great at that obstacle, she left her hind legs in it a little bit, but she landed in front and rider Brian Hayes was happy to sit as favourite Party Central came up on his outside. Impervious wasn’t great at the second last flight either, as Party Central challenged and Sit Down Lucy challenged on the outside, but she picked up well on the run to the final flight. She jumped that obstacle better, and she had enough in hand to pull away from her rivals on the run-in and post an impressive victory.

It is probable that some of Impervious’ main rivals under-performed. Annie G faded out of it disappointingly, while neither Party Central nor Glan found as much as it looked like they would find from the third last flight. So it was left to the 113-rated Sit Down Lucy to fill the runner-up spot.
But Impervious was impressive in winning, and Colm Murphy’s mare is now three for three. Her first two wins were gained over two and a half miles or thereabouts on good to yielding ground, but she proved here that she could handle softer ground too and an extended two miles. This race was won last year by Skyace, who won a listed mares’ novices’ hurdle at Punchestown’s John Durkan Chase meeting on her next run, and who won the Grade 1 mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Fairyhouse Irish Grand National meeting in April, and Impervious could be an exciting mare for the season ahead.
Down Royal, 19^th October 2021